What does Quran 73:17 mean?

Quran 73:17 (Surah Al-Muzzammil, Ayah 17) translates to: "Then how can you fear, if you disbelieve, a Day that will make the children white- haired?"

Which Surah and Juz is Quran 73:17 from?

This ayah is from Surah Al-Muzzammil (The Enshrouded One), the 73th surah of the Quran. It appears in Juz 29.

Are there hadiths related to Quran 73:17?

Yes — there are 5 hadiths related to this ayah from Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abu Dawud, Jami` at-Tirmidhi.

What tafsir is available for Quran 73:17?

Commentary on this ayah is available from Ibn Kathir, Ibn Kathir, Al-Jalalayn, Ibn Abbas — classical scholars of Quranic exegesis.

What topics does Quran 73:17 relate to?

This ayah connects to these Quranic topics: Day of Judgment, Divine Punishment, Disbelief, Divine Power, Divine Justice.

Ayah 16

فَعَصَىٰ فِرْعَوْنُ ٱلرَّسُولَ فَأَخَذْنَٰهُ أَخْذ...

73:17Al-Muzzammil

Ayah 18

ٱلسَّمَآءُ مُنفَطِرٌۢ بِهِۦ ۚ كَانَ وَعْدُهُۥ مَفْ...

فَكَيْفَ تَتَّقُونَ إِن كَفَرْتُمْ يَوْمًۭا يَجْعَلُ ٱلْوِلْدَٰنَ شِيبًا

Fakaifa tattaqoona in kafartum yawmany yaj'alul wildaana sheeba

Then how can you fear, if you disbelieve, a Day that will make the children white- haired?

Themes in this ayah

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Day of Judgment97

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Day of Judgment

73:17Ayah 120

3 ayahs in Al-Muzzammil are strongly about the Day of Judgment. This is one of them.

← Previous on Day of Judgment73:14On the Day the earth and the mountains will convulse and the mountains will become a heap of sand pouring down.Next on Day of Judgment →73:18The heaven will break apart therefrom; ever is His promise fulfilled.

Tafsir

Scholars offer complementary perspectives

View Full Tafsir: Al-Jalalayn on 73:17→

So if you disbelieve in this world how will you guard against a day yawman is the direct object of tattaqūna ‘you guard against’ that is against the chastisement thereof by what defence will you defend yourselves against the chastisement of a day that will make the children grey-haired shīb is the plural of ashyab by the severity of its terrors this being the Day of Resurrection the shīn of shīb should actually have a damma but it is given a kasra because of its phonetic affinity with the yā’ — a distressing day is described as being ‘a day that makes the forelocks of children turn grey’ which is usually understood figuratively; but it may be that in the case of this verse it is meant literally —

You would be no more among men (on the Day of Resurrection) but like a white hair on (the body of) a black ox, or like a black hair on (the body of) a white ox, and he made no mention of: a strip on the foreleg of an ass.

Sunan Abu Dawud #4203'Amr b. Shu'aib, on his father's authority, told that his grandfather reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:Da'if

Do not pluck out grey hair. If any believer grows a grey hair in Islam, he will have light on the Day of Resurrection. (This is Sufyan's version). Yahya's version says: Allah will record on his behalf a good deed for it, and will blot out a sin for it.

Jami` at-Tirmidhi #1682Narrated Shurahbil bin As-Samt:Sahih

"O Ka'b bin Murrah! Relate (something) to is from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and be cautious. He said: 'I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) say: "Whoever develops some gray hair in Islam, it shall be a light from him on the Day of Judgement." There is something on this topic from Fadalah bin 'Ubaid and 'Abdullah bin 'Amr. The narration of Ka'b bin Murrah was reported like this from Al-A'mash, from 'Amr bin Murrah. This Hadith is been reported from Mansur, from Salim bin Abu Al-Ja'd, and he included a man between him and between Ka'b bin Murrah in the chain. He is called: "Ka'b bin Murrah," and he is called: "Murrah bin Ka'b Al-Bahzi," and the one known among the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) is Ka'b bin Murrah Al-Bahzi, he reported some Ahadith from the Prophet (ﷺ).

Sahih Muslim #5921Sahih

Anas b. Malik did not like that a person should pick out his white hair from his head or beard, and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) did not dye, and there was some whiteness in his hair at his chin, on his temples and very little on his head.

Sunan Abu Dawud #4206Narrated AbuDharr:Hasan

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The best things with which grey hair are changed are henna and katam.